Carol's Chickens

Over the last few days I have realised that Mango is moulting. I remembered that last year Mango and Cloud moulted after they had been broody a few times. I looked back at my photos from June last year and sure enough there were photos of Mango and Cloud broody together followed by photos of Mango moulting.

I then looked at photos of the year before and that year they started moulting in July. It seems that Mango and Cloud moult early in the year and each year it has started with Mango first. Each year it has started after several broody bouts. It’s as if their bodies, or should I say hormones, decide that they are done for the year.

Sadly this may mean no more eggs from these two. Game girls have a short season.

In other news, tonight I checked on the girls an hour before the pop hole was due to close and both Red and Snow were in and perched along with Gold and Storm. I checked back half an hour before the pop hole was due to close and Cloud was inside the pop hole looking out and Mango was outside the pop hole looking in.

I decided that I wouldn’t go back until after the pop hole closed as I wanted to see if they would go in on their own and I sometimes think that perhaps I am a distraction for them. The pop hole is currently closing at half past nine.

I went back at half past nine when the pop hole was closed. All the girls were in and perched including Mango and Cloud. I was elated. This was the first time that all six girls were in and perched without any help from me. At last!

I will be leaving them to it from now on but will keep removing the nest boxes until they have been going in for a week as I don’t want to risk upsetting the routine. I think we are there at last. This has been a long time coming and will make such a difference going forward. I hope that this means putting some of the girls in will become a thing of the past and we will be back to the girls going in themselves which was how it always use to be. Going forward I hope to continue this way.

It’s been a slow process but we are getting there. The evening after my last post I made a mistake which set us back a bit. I barricaded in front of the covered nest box to try to stop Red jumping at it. I put in front of it the broom and my boots and flip flops from the cabinet. That was my first mistake and my second mistake was that I didn’t go up and check on them before bedtime as I felt confident after Mango and Cloud had gone in four nights running and Snow one.

When we did go and check just before the pop hole closed the whole flock were still outside. Most of them were perched above the hatch to the further end of the run. My barricade had put all the girls off going in. I herded them all in.

So on to plan B. I decided that going forward I would remove the nest boxes before bedtime. The next night Snow went in and was perched but not Mango and Cloud. I was kicking myself that I had set them back. I guided them in and the next minute Red had flown up on to the chicken shed roof. I was amazed that she managed that being a heavier bird than the rest of them. I put Red in just before the pop hole closed and then had to perch her.

Last night when I checked before bedtime Red was in the chicken shed but came out again when she heard me go through the gate. I kept returning at intervals. Snow, Storm and Gold were all perched. A few moments later Red went in. I waited a moment then opened the door to see where she was and just at that moment she jumped up to the perch. This was the first time Red had ever jumped to the chicken shed perch. It felt like a real breakthrough.

I then guided Mango towards the pop hole and she went in and perched. Cloud then followed her in and perched. Hurrah, I think we are getting somewhere. I always felt Red would be the most difficult one so if she starts going in I am sure Mango and Cloud will soon follow.

I think that as more girls go in it will make the girls still out more likely to go in as they won’t want to be on their own. I don’t think it will be long before they all go in. I am on a mission now and won’t give up until I have them all going in. From now on I will keep checking on them before bedtime. It just remains to be seen what happens tonight but I think we are really getting there.

Edit

Tonight I checked on them half an hour before the pop hole was due to close. Storm and Gold were on the side perch and Snow and Red were on the back perch. Hurrah, that was amazing. We have cracked it with Snow and Red. Mango and Cloud were on the patio area outside the pop hole.

I returned quarter of an hour before the pop hole was due to close. Mango and Cloud were still on the patio area. I picked up Mango and put her through the pop hole. Cloud then made a bee line for the pop hole and went in. I opened the door and watched them both jump up to the perch.

The pop hole soon closed. I feel we are so near to them all going in. I am really happy that Snow and Red are now going in. I think once Mango starts going in Cloud will follow. We are so close now. It is only a matter of time. I am really happy with the progress.

And in other news Gold has gone broody. She had laid ten eggs in two sixteen days. Just Snow and Storm laying now.

On the first evening that Mango and Cloud were broody I closed the nest boxes before bedtime. When I went up before the pop hole closed to check on them they were in the corner of the shed as I expected. I put them on the perch but when I returned they were back in the corner. I perched them again once the pop hole had closed and they stayed there.

On the second evening Mango and Cloud were again in the corner of the shed and I perched them. When I returned they had stayed perched this time.

On the third evening something amazing had happened. At bedtime Mango and Cloud were on the perch. For the first time in the two years we have had them they had put themselves to bed on the perch. I wondered if this was a fluke.

The second evening I checked with baited breath. Yes, Mango and Cloud were on the perch together at bedtime and they were no longer broody either.

On the third night I checked and Mango and Cloud were perched again at bedtime. I couldn’t believe it. I decided now was the time to try to get Red and Snow to go in too. If I could get all the girls to go in themselves before the new girls arrive I will have a better chance of the new girls eventually going in themselves too.

I decided to take out the third nest box by the gate as this will eventually become the new girls’ coop. I emptied the shavings into the other two nest boxes and hoovered it and put it in the garden shed. It will then have fresh shavings when the new girls arrive to give them a nice fresh start.

I then covered the the other two nest boxes with a trellis over a bucket at an angle then covered the whole thing with a thin plastic decorating sheet. I hoped that by blocking this off Red and Snow might go in at bedtime.

I checked before bedtime and whereas Red and Snow would usually be settled on the nest boxes they were wandering around the run looking a little lost. Mango and Cloud were perched in the chicken shed for the fourth evening along with Storm and Gold.

I went back after the pop hole had closed. I was really pleased to find that Snow was perched next to Mango and Cloud. This felt like such a victory.

Red had obviously jumped at the nest boxes and causes the plastic to slip exposing the trellis at the back where she was perched. I knew Red would be the most difficult one but I am encouraged that this may change with time. Tonight I will try to block the nest boxes off a bit better.

I feel as if there is light at the end of the tunnel and the girls will all go in eventually. This will be a huge game changer for us.

On the broody front, Red, Mango and Cloud are all through their broody spell now. Unfortunately we had been down to only one egg layer, that being Storm, for the last four days. Gold took a break from laying.

The good news is this morning Snow came back into lay after a break of eleven days. Shortly after Gold laid after her four day beak so we are now back to three girls laying.

We now need to wait and see what happens at bedtime tonight. Fingers crossed!

Two girls laying that is. Red has now gone broody too so we only have Gold and Storm laying. I am sure there has never been a previous year where we have had so few girls laying for such a lot of the time. It seems like we have a never ending stream of broodies this year. Red has laid eight eggs in twelve days. She is matching Sugar’s record.

Red is also more determined than the rest of the girls. I close the nest boxes and shed after the two laying girls have laid and Red will sit on top of a nest box.

I am finding this a bit exasperating at the moment. Snow has now come out of her broody spell so hopefully she will start laying in around a week’s time.

Edit

Today I could tell that Gold wanted to lay so I opened her favourite nest box by the gate. The next time I went to check the three broody girls had piled in with her.

It’s as if they have a sixth sense and somehow know there is a nest box open!

In all our years of chicken keeping this has never happened before. We went up yesterday afternoon and there were no chickens in the run, empty run! They were all in the three nest boxes.

Mango and Cloud have now gone broody together. Of course together because they do everything together! The thing that drives me crazy when these two go broody together is that they take on mother and chick roll and Mango sits on top of Cloud. It’s always this round, always Mango on top of Cloud. And they egg each other on, excuse the pun, making it harder to break them out of it, plus it means losing two egg layers at once.

Snow is still broody although I think she is loosening as she is staying out in the run a bit longer. That leaves three remaining laying girls, that being Red, Gold and Storm. So I went up to check on them with my camera.

Red, Gold and Storm got their eggs laid and I then turfed the broodies out and closed the nest boxes and the shed for the rest of the day.

This is definitely the most broody year we have ever had, sigh!

Snow went broody two days ago after laying seven eggs in eleven days. Meanwhile Storm came back into lay the day before yesterday after a three week break. Gold came back into lay yesterday after an eleven day break.

This means we now have five girls laying, those being – Red, Gold, Storm, Mango and Cloud.

I thought I should take some group photos of our now depleted flock of six. I am so glad that we will be getting two new girls in August as the flock feels very small at the moment.

I am finding it very hard to get used to seeing just six girls. I keep finding myself looking for Sugar.

They are now all “pipinchick” girls until August when we will add two “chickens to your door” girls. It will be good to get back to a bigger flock but as the new girls will be only four months old they will have to stay separate for two months while they are on grower pellets. Then the integration can begin.

I am looking forward to getting the new girls, not so much the integration, but I have done it many times before so I’m sure it will all be fine.

Sugar was our longest lived and our last serama. She had virtually every chicken problem our flocks have ever had and yet she came through every thing, she was very resilient. Despite being one of our smallest girls Sugar had been top girl for a very long time.

Although Sugar was top girl she had a lovely nature. She was able to put her flock mates in their place with a look or the peck that doesn’t quite land. She was also friendly and very easy to handle. When we had to clip her nails she would let me do so without flinching.

Sugar was also a serial broody. We have had loads of broody girls but Sugar would only ever lay a clutch of eggs each month before going broody and if left would sit for long past the time it would take to hatch eggs. She therefore had to spend time in the broody crate for her own good.

Sugar had egg laying problems in her last years and we knew something was adrift with her because for her last couple of years she spent a lot of time sitting. Despite this she still had quality of life. She dust bathed, sun bathed and loved any treats.

Sugar has seen a lot of girls come and go in her time with us. She has remained with us while we lost five seramas. They were in order of their going – Marmite, Shadow, Smoke, Spangle and Salmon. Sugar has also seen ten other girls go in her time with us making it fifteen in total that have gone during her time. They were – Speckles, Ebony, Spot, Flame, Saffron, Snowflake, Diamond, Dot, Star and Autumn.

I have picked photos of her that show her from chick to adult but also show her broodiness and her eventual decline as they sum up her life completely.

Sugar was an amazing character and has left a huge hole in the flock. She has been a joy to have in our flock. She is very much missed and I am sure we will never have a girl quite like her again. Goodbye to our beautiful Sugar.

Sugar was five and a half years old and we had known there was something adrift with her for the last two and a half years as she spent a lot of her time sitting but she just kept going. Last year she started laying at the beginning of May but hadn’t laid this year despite the lovely spring weather.

However over the last week Sugar seemed more active and faster to run to the treats. Over the last few days we both said that Sugar looked much more like her old self. She was sitting less and was dust bathing more.

Yesterday she dust bathed in the afternoon and last night she ran up for the sunflower hearts and was perched at bedtime next to Storm as usual.

This morning Sugar wasn’t out in the run and we found her dead in front of her roost spot. She had gone on my birthday of all days.

We had only said yesterday how good Sugar was looking and I said how much I loved her as we had seen her come through so much in her time with us. It must have been her last hurrah!

At least once more there was no slow decline, vet visit, or decision to be made. It was rather a shock though and so sad that she went on my birthday.

We buried her in the chickens’ strip. Unfortunately it has filled up over the years and we are now having to do a double layer back near the start of the strip. I planted a wall flower over her which I took from another part of the garden.

I will do a tribute to Sugar in a few days time as it will take me a while to go through the many photos of her over the years. Sugar will leave a huge hole in the flock and will be very much missed. Goodbye sweet Sugar.

After a break of ten days Red is back in lay. It will be good to have her slightly bigger eggs again. We now have four girls laying. Gold is taking her time coming out of her broody spell.

When I checked again these two girls were together which looks so sweet. They soon got their eggs laid.

It is good to be getting more eggs and Red’s bigger eggs are most welcome. Well done girls!

The day after Snow came back into lay Gold went broody. It really has been one in and one out constantly this year. I don’t remember such a broody year as this but I wonder if it’s because we have had such good weather early in the year which would be ideal for raising chicks.

So we are back to three layers being Snow, Cloud and Mango. Gold has laid seven eggs in ten days.

One thing about Gold though is that when I lift her from the nest box for a break she always goes for a dust bath. Her favourite place at the moment is one of the many large holes Red has dug all round the run. It’s the deepest one at the bottom end of the run.

I am hoping that Red comes back into lay soon. This really is a yo yo year.